Kate Garraway discovers double Bond connection in 'DNA Journey'

Kate Garraway has discovered two very different connections to Bond in her episode of DNA Journey.

The Good Morning Britain presenter stars in Thursday's episode of ITV's family tree series with Alison Hammond, where they find out some surprising connections – including to both 007 character James Bond and Paddington author Michael Bond for Garraway.

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She is introduced to Michael Bond's daughter Karen Jankel in the episode, who says of Paddington Bear: “He was always part of my family. He is so real to our family, and now to your family too, because he is a member of the family.

“He used to sit on the table at meal times and my father used to talk to him and talk through him to us. Of course, I never knew anything else because he was always around.”

Garraway discovers that she and Jankel share the same three times great-grandparent and says: “It was always my absolute favourite growing up.

“It has been said to me over the years that I do have a touch of Paddington Bear about me and that is because without meaning to he does cause an extraordinary amount of chaos.”

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She also makes a surprising connection to James Bond on a trip to Jamaica where she and Hammond visit James Bond beach in the area where 007 author Ian Fleming wrote many of his spy novels.

A historian explains to her that during Fleming's time in the Second World War, he ran T Force, a group of elite soldiers performing covert operations that included Garraway's cousin.

She is told that her cousin and his colleagues' war missions were the inspiration for Bond and shouts: "I'm related to James Bond! Oh my god, this is so exciting!"

Hammond also makes an impressive family discovery when she is told that her three times great-grandfather Jean-Marie Escoffery was a prominent campaigner for the rights of free people of colour in Jamaica.

Escoffery fought hard for legal rights and was awarded compensation for race discrimination of £16,000 in the 19th century – the equivalent of around £15m in today's money.

DNA Journey airs on Thursday at 9pm on ITV.

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